From Paradise to Palisades American Wildfires

LOS ANGELES - Oct. 30, 2025 - PRLog -- This fall, I traveled to Chico to visit my sister. Just days before, I had watched The Lost Bus, a film inspired by the devastating Camp Fire that consumed Paradise, California in 2018. I was stunned to learn that Paradise was only a short drive away.

The film's premise is simple but harrowing: a group of schoolchildren stranded during a wildfire, with only one bus available to carry them to safety. A compassionate bus driver, guided not by GPS but by memory, chooses to act. Alongside him, a teacher remains calm, courageous, and collaborative—working to soothe the children and navigate the chaos. As someone who has worked in education and with young students, I could imagine their faces, their fear, and the quiet strength it took to survive.

That story stayed with me. And so, I went to Paradise.

I wanted to see the school. I wanted to honor the teacher—not the kind of educator who makes headlines for scandal, but one who saved lives. I discovered that most of the film was shot in New Mexico, and the school depicted didn't exist by name in Paradise. But we found a junior high school, and nearby, a bus lot. I looked at those buses and thought: Maybe these were the ones. Maybe this is where the story began.

Why does this matter?

Because fires are terrifying. Because I remember the child hiding under the bus seat. Because Paradise's tragedy echoes through time—into the Palisades fire, into the Altadena fire. Two blazes, two worlds: one of extreme wealth, where homes can be rebuilt with ease; the other, families who lost everything—history, savings, legacy.

One night in downtown Los Angeles, I saw rows of buses from different counties. I remember spotting firefighters from Paradise. I thanked them. I meant it.

Later, LA radio stations spoke of lessons learned from Paradise—how their county now leads with rules and regulations to prepare for future fires. We can learn from them. As one reviewer said, "The movie exponentially drives into the situation in a certain narration and screenplay."

So here's the full circle:

I watched The Lost Bus.

I visited Paradise.

I saw the buses.

I stood at the bluff, overlooking hills—some scarred, some healing.

I thank the people of Paradise for teaching the world how to safeguard against fire.

And I lower my head in shame for the atrocities committed by PG&E.

This is not just a story about fire. It's a story about memory, responsibility, and the quiet heroes who guide us through the smoke.

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